Karen Bradley MP Column 15.01.24
We have many fantastic musical organisations in the Moorlands and whilst I will be featuring more of them later on in the year, this week, the fantastic Biddulph Male Voice Choir is my Reason to Visit the Moorlands.
The choir was founded in 1922 by two brothers, Ed and Thomas Roberts, and,in 2023, celebrated an incredible 101 years of singing.
The choir won its first competition in 1925 at the “Wesleyan Eisteddfod” which was held in Talke and since then has won many trophies in various competitionsand appeared in numerous concerts both at home and abroad. The history of the choir is amazing and between 1939 and 1949 they gave an incredible 390 concerts raising funds for “Forces comforts” and for charities. These included several concerts for the BBC as well as nine London theatre concerts.
In recent years the choir has performed in numerous locations and venues from small chapels to large concert halls. I have heard them on many occasions and they always lift my spirits, even at sombre events.
In 2022, its Centenary year, the choir performed 13 concerts including a “Free” concert with the award winning “GUS Brass Band”, to thank the local community for all their support.
The choir’s recent successes have included being invited to sing in Lichfield Cathedral, and performing concerts as far afield as Lancashire and Shropshire. They also won the Midlands Enterprise Awards “West Midlands Male Voice choir of the year 2023”, and I am sure that you will all join me in congratulating them on this and their many achievements.
For further information about the choir and their concerts, please see their website on www.biddulphmvchoir.co.uk and please do share your photos on my Year of Reasons Twitter/X @VisitMoorlands. Biddulph Male Voice Choir – a really great Reason to Visit the Moorlands.